Gone Like The Wind
by Faceless Charmer
Summary: After Fai accidentally unseals a violent spirit, Kurogane begins to act...differently. Can Fai stop Kurogane from being fully possessed, and can Syaoran protect Fai from Kurogane's increasingly violent behavior? Established KuroFai.
1. Chapter 1

_Established KuroFai, meaning they're already in a relationship by the beginning of this story._

 _I know not many people are sitting around in the Tsubasa fandom anymore, so this won't be a really popular story with hundreds of reviews like I want it to be. But I'll go ahead and do it anyway, because, well, I love Tsubasa._

 _This story takes place after the manga ends, even though I tried to convince myself to make it take place with the clones._

 _This is going to be my first published Tsubasa multi-chapter fanfiction! I've written tons, but I never post them, and it's too late now, because they were all thrown out in one of our many moves._

 _Sorry if the first chapter sort of rambles, I always have a bit of trouble getting stories started._

 _Oh yeah, and this is a KuroFai story. Actually, they're already together by the start of this story, because I don't really feel like writing out all the, "Oh no I like him, but what if he doesn't like me, oh he does, yay!" scenes that I'd have to. It's just easier this way._

 _ **Edit:** It will be my second published Tsubasa multi-chapter fanfiction._

 _This is an MxM story. That's your "warning"_

 ** _Disclaimer: I am not Clamp, the people who own Tsubasa._**

* * *

 **Gone Like The Wind**

 **Chapter 1**

It was night, wherever it was they had landed. At least, that's what Fai thought, upon first opening his eyes, because it was dark. He liked the thought, because he was tired, and even if that meant they were stuck sleeping on the floor, he wouldn't mind, he just wanted some sleep. But then when he opened his mouth to call out for the others, water rushed in, and he realized quickly that he was underwater.

He didn't panic, and a second later, he was breaking the surface, and breathing in fresh air. He realized he had been right about it being night though, because when he looked around, it was still dark, and there were stars littering the sky. He glanced around, trying to spot his companions. It took a couple seconds for his eyes to adjust to the dark, but once they had, he spotted Syaoran quickly enough. The young boy was standing about twenty feet away, on shore, dry as a bone. Mokona was on his shoulder, and the two of them had just spotted Fai, and were calling out to him, asking if he was alright.

"I'm fine!" he replied, waving.

"Where's Kurogane-san?" Syaoran called back, and that's when Fai noticed that indeed, Kurogane wasn't on land with the young boy. The question was answered when something broke the surface of the water from a few feet behind him. Fai looked over his shoulder, and smiled at the sight that greeted him. Kurogane, wet, and looking grumpy, just a little bit behind him.

"Kuro-tan!"

Kurogane only made a "hmm" sound as a response, shaking his head to try and get water out of his hair and ears.

"We're in the water!" Fai stated excitedly, like it wasn't obvious. Kurogane made it clear to him what he thought of this idiotic assessment by looking at him with a hard stare, and looking at him with narrowed eyes for a couple seconds.

"I can see that."

They made their way to shore, where Mokona apologized profusely.

"Mokona didn't mean to drop you in the water!" the little white bun promised, but Kurogane pointed accusingly at Syaoran and asked, "Then why did he land on shore?" It was clear though, that he was just teasing, and so Fai looked around as they talked.

"It doesn't look like there's anyone around." Syaoran assessed from next to him. All he could spot were trees, tall trees, and a couple shorter trees. One tree that looked old.

"I'm tired!" Mokona said. "Let's look for people tomorrow, and just sleep right now!"

Fai nodded his agreement, and since Kurogane and Syaoran were just as wiped out as he was, they didn't argue. At first, they planned to just set up outside and call it a night, but just as they started to get settled down, Fai felt a drop of rain hit him on the head. He didn't say anything right away, thinking, and hoping, that if he didn't acknowledge it, it might go away. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

The rain only got harder, and couldn't be ignored. Soon, the foursome was dripping wet as they fled, trying to find some shelter.

Fai had come to a stop, after almost thirty minutes of searching, and was standing still, rooted to his spot, and trying not to shiver. The wind had picked up, and together, it was a killer combo. But he didn't want his companions to worry about him, so he tried to pull off just looking tired. This wasn't hard, luckily, since he was this too, though he'd definitely woken up. He could hear Syaoran and Mokona in the distance, shouting something, but he couldn't hear what had been said.

A second later, a large cloak was wrapping itself around Fai. Or so it seemed, but really, Kurogane, quiet and sneaky as he could be, had come up behind Fai without him noticing, and was now depositing his dark cloak around the blonde's much thinner shoulders.

Instead of pretending like he still wasn't cold, Fai smiled, and gently touched Kurogane's mechanical arm.

"Thank you, "Kuro-sama."

Instead of answering, Kurogane nodded his head in the direction of Syaoran, who had come closer, and was now waving in a way that was easy to interpret.

"I found a cave!" were the words he shouted next, and immediately, the two older travelers were following behind him as he lead them to a dark cave that was hidden behind a mass of trees and shrubs. Mokona hopped off Syaoran's shoulder the moment they reached the cave, and the others were close behind, collapsing on the floor in a heap.

They took a moment to catch their breath, and get comfortable. Still cold, Fai sat close to Kurogane, hoping to steal some body warmth. Kurogane, cold too, allowed this.

Syaoran meanwhile, had nobody to warm him up, so he just shifted deeper into himself, shaking himself dry like a dog. He kept his eyes on his companions, watching at they tried to subtly move closer to each other without being obvious. Well, this was more true in Kurogane's case. If it was up to Fai, it wouldn't take so long.

After a few minutes, Fai finally had his head resting on Kurogane's shoulder, and both his arms wrapped gently around one of Kurogane's. He started to doze, and Syaoran smiled gently to himself when he noticed that Kurogane was silently watching the blonde.

Moments like this made him feel like an intruder and he didn't like it. He also didn't like it because it reminded him of Sakura, and all the moments like this they never had time for. Not that he was in anyway angry at Kurogane and Fai for this. He was very happy that they had each other.

Still though, to give them more privacy, he stood up, shaking himself one last time. He placed Mokona in Fai's lap, and the little white bun snuggled into the warmth of Fai's clothing, asleep.

"Where are you going?" asked Kurogane, taking his eyes off of the now sleeping Fai.

"I'm just going to take a look deeper in the cave. See if there's anything to be found."

"Be careful." Kurogane said back. He trusted the kid, but damn could he be spacey, and he didn't need the brunette falling down a hole or something.

"Right."

Once he was alone, Syaoran moved slowly, looking closely at the walls. He couldn't be sure, but it looked like there might have been something written there…

He peered closer, squinting and trying to brush away any dirt, but whatever was written there, if anything at all, was impossible to make out. Time had done it's damage. He explored a few more minutes, but he couldn't go any further. Ahead was a dead end, with no other turns to take. There was what seemed to be a pile of rocks stacked on top of each other, but not much else. He was curious as to the meaning behind it, but there was nobody around to ask. Maybe when they found some people, one of them could clear it up for him. With no other choice but to make his way back, Syaoran did so.

Within minutes, he could hear Fai's voice. Clearly, he had woken up, and didn't seem to be showing any signs of the exhaustion that had plagued him only minutes before.

"Syaoran-kun!" Fai said once he was in view. "Did you find anything interesting?"

Syaoran shrugged, still wondering how the blonde had managed to bounce back so fast. Personally, he didn't think he'd last another five minutes without crashing into the floor. Kurogane didn't look like he'd last much longer either. "I think there's writing on the wall, but I can't make it out. There was a pile of rocks too."

"Rocks?" Fai repeated, and tilted his head.

Syaoran only nodded as he silently sat back down, a little further into the cave. It was warmer back here.

Fai thought this over for a few seconds, and suddenly turned the way Syaoran had just come from. "I'll go check it out!"

"Why?" asked Kurogane, and even though he looked like he wanted to get up and go after the blonde, it was clear he was very tired.

"I just want to see for myself. I'll be right back, I promise."

"Hmm. Be careful." Kurogane said again, this time a little more seriously. Syaoran understood why. Fai, without meaning too, was sort of a trouble magnet, probably because he seemingly carelessly wandered into potentially dangerous situations.

Fai, meanwhile, was now in the process of doing the same thing Syaoran had done earlier, squinting at the wall. He could see the writing too, but there was no way he could make out what it said.

"I hope it doesn't say, "Stay away." he said to himself, his voice echoing, and carrying down the tunnel, back in the direction that his companions were waiting for him. Quickly, he found the pile of rock that Syoaran had mentioned, and he picked up his speed, going at a little trot. Unfortunately, he couldn't see everything very well, and his foot suddenly connected with what felt like a large rock.

"Uwah!" he fell forward, and held out his hands to try and catch himself. He stumbled forward a few more feet before his hands connected with the tall pile of rocks. Instantly, the tower of rocks crumbled, taking Fai down with it.

"Ouch…" he rubbed his head, even though it hadn't been hit, then started to sit up, and dust himself off. But just as he pulled himself into a kneeling position, he felt the ground give way beneath him. He started to scream on the way down, but it was cut off quickly. The air around him was heavy, and it felt like he couldn't breath. Like he was back under water. He hit the ground hard, knocking what little air he still had out of him. For a few seconds he just lay there, trying hard to get his breath back. Once he finally had, he rubbed his head again, more seriously this time, really checking for damage. When his hand came away, there was blood on it.

He stood up on shaky legs, looking up. He'd fallen about eleven feet, and he'd taken the rock tower down with him. He coughed, his lungs filling with dirt.

"Kuro-sama!" he managed to shout, but it wasn't nearly loud enough. "Syaoran-kun!" This time, it was just a bit louder. Hopefully loud enough for Kurogane to hear. "Kuro-sama, help!"

 _Were you the one who released me?_

Fai stopped, mid shout, and looked around. There was nobody there with him that he could see, but he was sure he'd heard a voice.

"Hello?"

 _You released me, human?_

This time he was sure he'd heard the voice, but there was still nothing.

 _I'm thankful._

"Where are you?" Fai asked, turning around, trying to catch any sign of what was talking to him. The only proof that there was anything at all was a light breeze that was blowing the dirt around. As he watched, it started to pick up speed, obviously getting stronger, until rocks were being blown around. A couple began to hit Fai, and he covered his head.

Fai had a feeling he should be getting out of there. The voice hadn't exactly said anything threatening, but the way it sounded...and the way the air felt...the way Fai was starting to feel. He quickly started to float in the air, planning on flying out of there. But quickly, he felt the wind wrap around his ankle, and make it's way up his legs. It held him in place, and with a violent gust, Fai suddenly found himself back on the ground, having been knocked down. The wind released him, and he quickly stood back up.

 _You have power too?_ The voice asked. _Hmm. As thanks for releasing me, and because you too, hold power, you will be staying with me._

Now Fai knew had to get out of there. Across the room, wind was swirling, and as he watched, it slowly started to take a shape, one that looked human. He'd released something. Something had been sealed here, under the rocks, and he'd let it out.

The wind figure began moving forward quickly, and there was nowhere for Fai to go. He put his hands up, planning on using his magic, but to his horror, nothing happened. A laugh echoed through the chamber.

 _Silly boy._

It had taken his power! Fai could still feel it, and he knew it was there, but it must have stopped him somehow. It's magic had to be much more powerful, canceling his out. The wind figuring was closing in, close enough that Fai thought he could see a pair of eyes.

"Stop!" he shouted, and a second later, Kurogane was in front of him, and the wind blew past him. Fai looked over his shoulder, and saw that it was circling back around.

 _You cannot get away._

Kurogane scoffed, apparently having also heard the voice. "Watch me."

Then, Fai was in Kurogane's arms, and the ninja was jumping, right out of the hole in the ground, bringing them back into the tunnel. Syaoran was waiting there, holding Mokona, and didn't argue when Kurogane ran past him, still carrying Fai. Over the ninja's shoulder, Fai could still see the wind coming, and it was picking up speed.

"Hurry!" he shouted.

 _I'll get you!_

They ran out of the cave, back into the rain, but they didn't stop running. Out here with the rest of the wind, Fai could no longer tell what was regular wind and what was paranormal wind. But now that they were out of the cave, he tried again to use his powers, and thankfully, his barrier went up around them, and they were all quickly carried into the sky, and away.

Fai didn't take down the shield, not until a village came into sight. He dropped them right outside of it.

"What was that thing?" asked Kurogane, still looking around for any sign of it.

"I don't know. I knocked down the rock pile on accident." Fai admitted. "Then the ground collapsed, and that's when it showed up."

"I think those rocks may have been used to seal it." Syaoran said. "When you knocked them down, you let it out."

"That's what I thought."

"Great." Kurogane said, folding his arms over his chest. "Now what? Do we just leave this place?"

Fai shook his head. "It stopped me from using my powers before. But since I could use them just now, that meant it wasn't stopping, or we'd lost it." He smiled, trying to look reassuring.

"But Fai…" Mokona said worriedly, "What if it comes after you?"

"Mokona, we can't waste any chance of finding away to see Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan again, can we?"

Mokona shook his head, and Fai looked at Kurogane and Syaoran for confirmation. Syaoran did the same, looking at Kurogane. The ninja was silent for a second, his arms crossed over his chest, before he let out an exhale.

"Fine, but if there's any sign of that thing again, we're leaving."

"Alright, Kuro-chan." Fai agreed compromisingly. He was glad they were staying. He really didn't want to waste any chance of finding a way to see the clones again. And besides, now that he'd released that thing, he felt like it was his responsibility to at least make sure that these townspeople weren't in any danger.

He turned toward the village, grabbing Kurogane's arm. A gust of wind blew through, but it was quiet.

Or so he thought.

 _You haven't escaped yet._

* * *

 _Ah, I'm so glad I finally got around to this. I picture the scenes that will happen later, and I'm so excited to write them. It's a slow start, but it will get much more interesting. Even if you don't review, I hope that some people are reading, and liked it so far._


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm really happy about the enthusiastic response I got to the first chapter. It's been a while, (or maybe it's the first time) since one of my stories recieved this much interest.**

 **Review Responses, because I used to love doing them, and it's been a while!**

 **Guest- Thank you for the praise. Don't worry, I will! (Continue writing, I mean)**

 **Quiet Reader- Thanks! No one's ever called my writing 'lovely' before. I'm happy that someone is waiting for the next chapter.**

 **NekoRyuuKo- I'm glad you liked it. I was kind of afraid for some reason that the first chapter was boring, so knowing that you thought it was awesome is a huge relief.**

 **Gothic Girl- Don't worry, Kurogane is with Fai in this story. In fact, they're already dating by the start of this story. Hope you like it!**

 **XamreiKH97- Probably nothing too interesting, but let's hope. Thanks for the review!**

 **Vannya20- Thank you very much. I'm easily discouraged, so I'm really happy that you and others are enjoying it.**

 **Snowe Whisper- My atmosphere must be changing, I guess.**

 **Reader- It's gonna be interesting! (I hope) Thank you very much for the review.**

 **StrayDogHowling028- I'm glad I'm not alone. Not that I felt like I was alone per se, but this fandom used to be so much more active, and since I'm such a loser I haven't moved on.**

 **Dean'sAngel6- Yeah, this is after Fai became a vampire. This is after the end of the manga, when it's only Kurogane, Fai, Syaoran, and Mokona. I'm glad you liked the first chapter.**

 **Chapter 2**

It had stopped raining, but the wind hadn't stopped blowing. And everyone was still tired. In fact, their exhaustion had only gotten worse, after having to run away from their invisible opponent. Fai was the only one who'd managed some rest, and even that had only been for a few mintues.

"How are we supposed to find anywhere to stay?" Mokona asked, huddled under Syaoran's warm jacket. There weren't many people in the streets, and Fai figured it was because not only was it night, but also because the weather was terrible. Who would want to be out in it?

"I don't know." Syaoran answered, looking at Kurogane and Fai for any helpful suggestions. Kurogane grumbled under his breath, looking around, and Fai joined him, looking from one house to the next, searching for anything that might have been helpful to them. The howling wind made it hard to see anything, and Fai had to keep brushing his hair out of his face.

"Excuse me?" said a voice from behind them, turning them all around. Mokona disappeared inside Syaoran's jacket, a smart move, since they weren't yet sure if this was the sort of world where Mokona would be accepted.

Standing behind them was a dainty young girl, long red hair and clothes soaked from the rain, and further behind her, coming closer, was a young boy, also red headed, also dripping wet.

"Do you guys need some help?" she asked, Smiling politely. "You're looking a tad lost."

"In fact, we are." Fai said, stepping up automatically, smiling as charmingly as possible in his current condition. "My companions and I are traveler's, and we only just got here, and have nowhere to stay. Do you know of a place we might be able to go? A nearbye cave, maybe, or an abandoned home nobody is using?"

He hoped she wouldn't direct them back to the cave they had just fled from. The girl's eyes widened, and she repeated, "A cave? Don't be silly! I couldn't send you off to a cave."

"The caves around here are dangerous." said the boy who had been approaching, close enough now to hear the conversation. "You guys can stay at our place. Right?" The last word was directed at the girl, who nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! The downstairs is empty, after all, since our parents died."

So they were siblings. Fai had had a feeling, since they looked a lot alike. "I'm sorry about your parents." he and Syaoran both said, almost in unison.

The girl smiled, but Fai saw that it was tinged with a little sadness. "That's alright. It was a while ago. They'd be happy to let you stay there, I know it. Anyway, I'm Shea, and this is my twin brother Reya."

Twins. A twin brother. As always, the thought tugged at a string in Fai's heart, but he managed to pull himself together, and smiled. "It's nice to meet the two of you. I'm Fai, and this grumpy looking guy is Kurogane. This boy here is Syaoran."

"Nice to meet you." Syaoran said formally. "Are you sure it's alright to let us stay with you?"

Both the boy and girl nodded, and, as if the matter had been settled, starting walking off, hopefully in the direction of their house. The traveler's, after giving each other a few glances, followed after.

"Are you sure we should be taking their help so easily?" Kurogane, ever the cautious one, asked. "They might be dangerous."

"They might be." Fai replied, then nudged him teasingly. "But I think they're just good kids lending a hand. And Kuro-tan is just paranoid."

"Do you sense anything dangerous about them?" Syaoran asked before Kurogane could rant at Fai for being too trusting. The ninja glanced at the two twins, who were talking to each other about apples. After a couple seconds, he shook his head, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"See, we'll be alright." Fai said. After only about ten minutes, that Fai passed chatting casually with the twins, Shea and Reya stopped, in front of what appeared to be the largest home in the village. It was four stories high, and had a lovely garden stretched out beside it.

Inside his coat, Syaoran heard Mokona whisper, "They're rich!"

"This is it." Shea said, looking back at the group, and smiling at their stunned gapes. "Reya and my parent's were very well liked." she said. "My brother and I mostly occupy the first three floors, and our parents took the first. Now that they're gone, we don't go down there much, not even to leave the house."

"How do you get out then?" Kurogane asked, and Reya answered.

"Believe it or not, we've got a ladder attached to a second story window, and we go down that."

"Really?" Fai asked, picturing it. Both the twins nodded.

"Yeah. I can show you if you want." offered Shea. "Anyway, so, we won't be bothering you much, but feel free to come up and see us anytime!"

"How long are you guys planning on staying here?" Reya asked, and Syaoran stepped forward.

"We aren't sure. It may only be days, but it could also be weeks. Forgive us if we depart suddenly, without saying goodbye."

"Oooh." Shea said, looking at them as if they were shady characters. "Are you on the run from something? Or someone?"

"No." said Fai. "But we do have a habit of leaving unexpectedly, and sometimes we don't get a chance to say farewell."

"As thanks for letting us stay here, we'd love to help out around the house." Syaoran said, and the twins looked at each other for a couple seconds, before Reya spoke.

"Well, the place has become kind of rundown, since our parents died. If you could just help with the cleaning and repairs, that would be fine."

"No problem!" Fai said, clapping his hands together. "Kuro-sama and Syaoran-kun are great at pyhsical labor, and I'm more than happy to clean the place up. I'm also not bad at cooking, so if there's anything you'd like, just let me know."

At his words, almost simultaneously, Shea and Reya asked, "Can you bake chocolate cake?" The excited glimmer in their eyes was cute, and it was obvious chocolate cake was something they hadn't had since that last time one of their parents made it for them.

"Chocolate cake is my specialty, in fact." Fai said, and they smiled at him, while behind him, Kurogane started grumbling about he he'd better not try and get him to eat it, which, of course, only made Fai more eager to make it.

Once inside, something Reya had said suddenly came back to Syaoran.

"You said the caves around here are dangerous. Any particular reason why?"

Reya, who was looking around the room as if he hadn't seen it in a long while, (which was entirely possible) turned his attention to Syaoran. "Well, most of them are just old, and it's just dangerous to go in. But there's one, not far from town, that nobody goes into."

"Why's that?" asked Fai, coming closer. Kurogane had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he mentally cursed.

"Years ago, before Shea and I were born, there was a spirit that came to our town. It would possess people, and make them violent. People would hurt their loved ones. Our parents were the ones who sealed it. It's why we have this house."

"And it was sealed in that cave?" asked Syaoran, feeling nervous at the turn this conversation was taking. Reya, unfortunately, nodded.

"Yes. And so nobody goes in there, because the seal placed on it is easy to break."

"Why would your parents put such an easy seal on it?" Kurogane asked, frustrated. Why did this sort of stuff always happen to them, for God sake?

"It was the only known seal." Shea said, picking up for her brother. "It still is. So nobody goes in there."

"Didn't it ever occur to the people of this town that strangers might find it before that could be explained to them?" Kurogane asked next, and the twins looked at each other worriedly.

"Did you...go into that cave?" asked Shea, wringing her wet hair out worriedly. The three travelers looked at each other, not sure what to say. Fai spoke first, telling the first lie he had in a while.

"No. Kurogane's just tired and grumpy."

The twins sighed in relief, and, after bidding them goodnight, went upstairs. Once they were gone, Mokona hopped out.

"Oh no!" Mokona gasped. "We unleashed a bad spirit! What'll we do?"

"It's alright." said Fai automatically. "We'll find a way to seal it again. Tomorrow, after we get some rest, we'll just ask the twins how their parents managed to get the spirit into the cave, and we'll do that."

Now Fai was even less inclined to leave. Sure the spirit had seemed to be targeting him in the cave, but now, because of him, it was free to come back to this place, and harm that people that it probably blamed for it's imprisonment. And since Shea and Reya's parents were dead, that left a pretty good guess on who it would target instead.

"Come on." Kurogane said. "Let's get some sleep. We obviously have a lot to deal with tomorrow."

Fai followed the ninja to a large bedroom, while Syaoran and Mokona took a smaller one further down the hall. Walking through, Fai was once again impressed with the house. This floor alone had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a decent sized kitchen. He had a feeling the rest of the floors did too. There was no danger of a bathroom buildup here, since everyone could easily just find another one to use.

Fai crawled into the bed, resting his head on Kurogane's chest, and shut his eyes. It was hard to sleep, feeling so guilty, but eventually, listening to the sound of Kurogane's heart, he managed to drift off.

 _In his dream, he found himself standing somewhere dark. For a moment, he couldn't make anything out, but eventually, his eyes began to adjust, and he realized he was in the cave, in the hole he'd fallen into after knocking over the rock pile. Quickly, he spotted the dark figure standing in the corner, concealed by shadows. It had a human shape, which comforted Fai, but only slightly._

 _"You haven't gotten away." said a voice, the same voice that had chased him and his friends out of the cave._

 _"This isn't a dream." Fai said, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Is it?"_

 _"No." said the figure, with a hint of laughter in it's voice. "It isn't."_

 _"Are you planning on hurting the people of this town."_

 _The figure, still cloaked in darkness no matter how much time passed, made a humming sound, as if thinking. "Maybe." Then, just as quickly, "No, I don't think so. That was fun the first time around, but this time, I've found something much more interesting, I think."_

 _Already knowing where this was going, Fai said sternly, "I'm not going with you."_

 _The figure's head cocked to the side, and there came a low laughter. "No?" More laughter. "Do you think I am asking?" it asked cockily, and sounding a little peeved, as if it wasn't used to being questioned or denied._

 _"I'm a boy." Fai said, feeling foolish at his words, as if they would change anything, hoping they would._

 _"I can see that. But I am not hindered by gender. Neither, I noticed, are you."_

 _"What do you mean?" asked Fai, trying to sound calm. How could it have known about him and Kurogane? All the spirit had seen of the ninja was a very brief rescue. That didn't mean they were any thing more than friends. They were, of course, but how could it have known?_

 _"That man, who came to rescue you. You're more than friends."_

 _"How do you know that?" Fai asked, sounding more harsh than he probably should with a violent spirit. But the spirit just laughed again, and changed the subject. Or, more accurately, directed it back to the original subject._

 _"If you come to me easily, I won't hurt anybody." The voice rang around Fai the same way it had in the cave, as if coming from every corner, every crevice, even though the figure was standing directly in front of him._

 _It didn't sound like a threat, said so calmly, but undoubtedly, it was._

 _"You said you wouldn't hurt the people of this town."_

 _The figure, which Fai still couldn't see, made another, "Hmm." sound, that Fai couldn't decipher the meaning of. It was like it was hiding something, and wasn't ready to share._

 _"You may as well give up. You won't get away."_

 _"I will." Fai snapped back, and, to his surprise, the figure started to walk forward, coming closer, and slowly, it began to take shape. Finally, it was close enough for Fai to see, and his eyes widened, as he looked into Kurogane's eyes, which, while still the red eyes he knew, were definitely not the eyes Fai had come to love._

 _"No." the spirit said, Kurogane's mouth moving to form these words. But it wasn't his voice that left him. He leaned over Fai, a smirk gracing the features the blonde loved so dearly, and leaning over the still stunned wizard, he whispered directly into his ear._

 _"You won't."_

Fai awoke, and automatically shot up, looking at Kurogane, who he was still resting on. For a brief second, the ninja was still asleep, but the moment Fai moved, Kurogane snapped awake, and, taking in Fai's panicked appearance, looked around the room, hand going to the sword beside the bed.

"It's...it's alright." Fai managed to say. "It was just a bad dream, Kuro-tan. That's all."

Kurogane looked at him, right in the eyes, just like in the dream. But this time, Fai knew he was searching for eyes. Giving himself away, Fai looked away, and his heart rate slowly returned to normal. What had the spirit meant by taking Kurogane's form? Was he planning on hurting him?

Or something else?

"You're lying." Kurogane said, and Fai looked back at him, and shook his head.

"I'm not. It really was a bad dream."

"But it was more than that. Wasn't it?"

He hadn't managed to get away with lying to Kurogane yet, but still, he had to try. Kurogane couldn't know that he, and Fai, and probably many others, were in danger. The ninja was a noble man, but Fai knew if he shared his had dream, Kurogane would abandon this town, these people, and get Fai out of there before anything could be done to save them. And Fai couldn't have that.

"No. It was just a bad dream."

* * *

 _Chapter two done! At first I kind of disliked it, but now, I think I'm liking it. Oh Tsubasa, I love you so dearly._

 _Awhile back, I read this fanfiction that said that we had a lot of stories where Fai was the one in danger, and Kurogane had to come to his aid. And I agreed. So this story is kind of, sort of, me putting Kurogane in danger, and Fai needing to help him. But Fai will be in trouble too, so it's also kind of not._


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry it took a while before I updated chapter three. I started writing a bunch of other fanfics. You guys should check em out, if you have the time. I'm really digging my "A Secret Worth Hiding One" and "Everything Will Be Alright" was pretty good too. I was proud of it. They're both also KuroFai._

 _Review Replies_

 _ **Reader-** I hope you won't be disappointed by this chapter, even though it took a while._

 _ **Gothic girl** \- Yes, Kurogane cut off his arm to save Fai in Celes, Fai's home country. And this takes place after that, after the manga is over. In case you didn't read the end of the manga, (or any of it) Syaoran and Sakura are both clones, the original Syaoran is their son, and in the end, the two clones go inside the original Syaoran and Sakura, and Syaoran, Fai, Kurogane and Mokona journey to find a way to bring them back. So, yes, Kurogane's arm is fake in this story, and it is after Fai became a vampire._

 _ **Vannya20** \- I'm glad to brighten up your day, even if only just a little bit at all. Thanks for the kind words, and actually, you should rush me, just a little, so that way I'll actually post faster._

 _ **Snowe Whisper-** Don't worry child, the KuroFai scenes will come. Calm down._

 _ **The Apprentice's Sorcerer** \- Haha, thanks. Sorry if you suffered at school because of me. I used to go through the same stuff when_

 **Chapter 3**

Fai tried very hard to put the dream out of his mind. For the moment anyway. When he was alone, he'd try to figure something out. But if he thought about it while Kurogane was around, the ninja would quickly pick up on his anxiety and demand an explanation.

Knowing there was no use in trying to keep Mokona hidden from the twins for the whole duration of their stay, they instead introduced them, to save themselves the trouble.

"What are you?" Shea asked, holding Mokona in her hands, cocking her had curiously back and forth.

"Mokona is Mokona!" was Mokona's answering, surprising none of the traveling companions.

"A spirit, maybe?" Reya offered, and Syaoran shrugged noncommittally, not wanting to be a liar.

"Uh, something like that."

Shea nodded, accepting the explanation, and patted Mokona on the head. "Cool! I've never seen a spirit like this before."

Fai, who was cooking breakfast while all this was being done, turned and started putting the plates down. Everyone dug in, thanking him, and, of course, telling him how good it was. He smiled, accepting the thanks, trying to act normal.

Once they were done, Reya turned to Kurogane. "We could use a little work done on the roof. Do you mind?"

Kurogane grunted, standing up. "Give me a minute to get ready."

Fai went after him, subconsciously afraid to leave him alone. The spirit couldn't have meant anything good by taking Kurogane's form in his dream. Most likely, it was planning to hurt him. There was no way he'd leave Kurogane alone, he had to stay nearby, so he could sense any magic coming their way.

"What?" Kurogane asked, and Fai realized he was just staring blankly ahead. He wiped the look off his face, and smiled. "Oh, uh, I guess I just spaced out."

He quickly turned away, back out of the bedroom. Was it possible that that was the spirit's actual form? Maybe, despite the odds, the Kurogane of this world had made contact with them, and was this spirit. But he knew that wasn't the truth. The spirit was not kind, or caring, it was only chaos and anger. It felt evil. And Kurogane was not evil.

"Oi." Kurogane reached out and grabbed his arm, gently wrapping his fingers around Fai's upper arm. "You're lying. Is it that spirit? Is that what's got you freaked out?"

Fai shrugged, neither confirming nor denying. "I just hope it doesn't cause any trouble." There, that was true, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

"We'll get it under control. It'll be fine. Got it?"

Fai nodded, trying to look reassured. "Got it."

Then, just to comfort himself, he leaned up, kissing Kurogane gently on the lips. The ninja accepted the kiss, pulling Fai closer to him. Fai felt Kurogane's heartbeat against his chest, and counted them as they kissed. At beat seven, they pulled apart, and Kurogane ruffled his hair before going off to start on the roof.

On the bottom floor, Fai still managed to hear a very light thumping on the roof, that signaled Kurogane's work on it many floors above. As Kurogane worked, Syaoran found things to do, and Fai was suddenly pulled away by Shea.

"Would you like to go to the market with me?" she asked, and he nodded. This would be his chance to ask how the twins parents had managed to seal the spirit before. The sooner he knew, the better. He didn't want to leave Kurogane alone, but Syaoran was here, and he'd be able to sense if anything magical came their way.

As they were walking, Shea chatted idly, and Fai listened and joined in. She reminded him a lot of Sakura, and it was hard not to like her. As they shopped, Fai looked around, for any sign of the spirit. But everything was quiet.

Once there was a brief lull in the conversation, Fai took control. "So, uh, Shea-chan?" he asked, and she tilted her head toward him as she examined what he thought might have been this world's version of an apple.

"Yes?"

"How did your parents manage to seal that spirit? If it was so powerful?"

"What do you mean?" Shea asked, as she paid for almost a dozen of the maybe apples. Fai noticed the shopkeeper eyeing Shea in way that could only be described as disgust. Fai's brow furrowed, confused by this, but he let it slide, since Shea seemed to be blantly ignoring the look.

"How did they lure it into the cave?"

"Oh. Actually, I don't know. Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I was just wondering." It wasn't very convincing, especially when he sounded so clearly bummed, but luckily, Shea did not seem to posses Kurogane's ability to tell when somebody was lying. They continued on their shopping trip, and Fai saw more and people looking at Shea, glaring, and turning away when she walked by.

"Uh, Shea-chan?" he asked, and the girl stopped walking, looking back at him.

"Yes?"

"I can't help but notice that everyone seems to dislike you." Fai said bluntly, since there was no other way to say it. "I thought you said your parents were very well liked?" He had thought that it stood to reason that if that was the case, the children would be liked too, but so far, that hadn't seemed the case.

Shea paused, and nodded. "It's just me they dislike, really."

"Why's that?"

"A lot of them, though not all, don't approve of me."

"What is there to approve of?" Fai looked the girl up and down, but she only smiled and walked off, leading the way back to the house, where the two of them put the groceries away. Fai wanted to find out more, but that felt hypocritical, considering how private he once was, hating it when people, (Kurogane) pried into his life.

He brought the conversation up with Kurogane though, the next time the two of them were alone, and the ninja nodded, as if something had been confirmed.

"I thought so." he said, and Fai cocked his head. Syaoran came in behind them, Mokona riding on his shoulder, just in time for the conversation.

"Thought what?" Syaoran asked, Mokona hopping off his shoulder, and onto the counter.

"Shea's a boy." Kurogane said plainly, like it was easy to see. Fai's eyes widened, and Syaoran looked a little caught off guard too, but then he nodded. "Yeah, I suspected too."

Fai rolled his eyes. "Well aren't you two just so observant." He didn't wait for a reply, and instead ran to find Shea, to see if this was true. He found her with her brother, the two of them playing a game on a piece of paper.

"Shea…" Fai said, suddenly not sure how to broach the subject. She looked up, and just looking at him, seemed to know what he was going to say.

"I was born a boy." she said simply. "But really, I'm a girl. And some of them don't approve."

Fai stood there a couple seconds, then smiled, and sat down next to the twins, joining in on their game.

That's all that was said about that.

*(*)

Night came. Syaoran went to bed, and Fai and Kurogane sat in their room, talking about the spirit. This was because Fai had broken the news to them that Shea didn't know how their parents had lured the spirit, how they had even sealed it. So, Syaoran had been forced to fake casually go and ask Reya instead. Fai couldn't do it, because then they'd realize something was up, and Kurogane was terrible at being casually friendly.

Syaoran had come back from the conversation looking non too pleased, and they knew they were screwed. Until they figured something out on their own, at least.

"Maybe it's written in books." Fai was saying as they lay in the bed that was much too big for both of them. "And even if not, somebody in the village has to know."

"Yeah." Kurogane agreed. The blonde was letting his hair out of it's ponytail, and the hair fell around his shoulders, tickling his bare skin.

Fai curled in closer to Kurogane, who put his arm around his shoulders. It was quiet for a couple seconds, and, not exactly tired, and not excited to see that thing in his dreams again, Fai tried to get Kurogane to play with him a little. He reached over, his long fingers trailing along the ninja's ribs.

Already aware of what he was going to do, Kurogane tried to move away. "Oi. Don't do that."

Fai didn't listen, instead starting to tickle his lover lightly. Kurogane wasn't exactly very ticklish, but if it he hit the right spots, Fai could make the taller man squirm a little. He had an ulterior motive though, since usually, if he did this, Kurogane would wrestle him off, and pin him to the bed. This usually led to a kiss, and sometimes this led to other stuff.

Maybe Fai could have just asked for a kiss, or for other stuff, but it was more fun this way. And besides, despite the fact that they weren't exactly innocent and pure, Fai still found it embarrassing to voice those kinds of wishes outloud. He had a feeling Kurogane did too, which was why he put up with these things, and why their other kisses were more silent spur of the moment things.

"I said cut that out." Kurogane said, sounding a little mad now. Fai paused, because he sounded actually mad, not fake mad. But that couldn't be, because Kurogane didn't have a reason to be angry. Especially when he was currently on the road to getting laid. So Fai resumed his movement, but just as quickly, was put to stop.

This was because suddenly, Kurogane had him by both of his wrists, and was pinning him to the bed. That was how Fai had planned it to go, but the look in Kurogane's red eyes was something very new. He was glaring down at Fai, his eyes burning, and his grip around Fai's wrists was tight.

"I told you to stop." he growled lowly, and Fai could only look up at him in a stunned and frightened silence. The mage briefly considered calling out for Syaoran, but held back.

"A-are you...are you alright?" he whispered softly, and after the words had left his lips, Kurogane blinked, and shook himself, like he was shaking away a fog in his head.

"What did I just...I...I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I've been feeling a little weird all day. I guess it was worse than I thought."

He got off Fai, sitting back in the bed, but looking at Fai worriedly. "Are you alright?" he asked again, and Fai nodded, and even though what had just happened had been scary, he instantly hugged Kurogane close, because he knew if he didn't, Kurogane spend the next couple days thinking Fai was mad about it.

"It's alright." he said, and kissed Kurogane on the temple. "Sorry."

Kurogane huffed, wrapping his arms around Fai, who lay on his chest, the same as he had earlier today. And just like then, he could feel Kurogane's heartbeat. But earlier, the ninja's heart had been steady, calm.

Now, it was just a little quick.

Kurogane was...nervous? Afraid?

Fai looked up into Kurogane's face. It was the same face he'd always known. The same cheeks, and eyebrows, and nose. And, mostly, the same eyes. Mostly because, Fai thought he could still see a glimmer of that anger buried deep behind the red iris of Kurogane's pupils.

Fai held on tight to Kurogane, hoping it was all just his imagination.

* * *

 _So, as of right now, I do not have plans for Shea's gender to impact the story. Sorry for the pointless gimmick, but I really wanted to do it. I'd actually had it planned since chapter one, before I even started writing the story._


	4. Chapter 4

_Some of you more hardcore CLAMP fans are probably baffled by Shea's treatment in the previous chapter. If we've learned anything from CLAMP, it's that all forms of love and people are accepted, right?_

 _And this is true, and remember it. But I find it impossible to believe that every single world they go to will be so accepting, since, after all, they are traveling through pretty much every possible dimension. Eventually, they'll have to come to one or two that are homophobic or transphobic._

 _Unfortunate but true._

 _Review Replies_

 _ **Gothic Girl** \- Well I'm really glad you are reading my story then, even if you aren't sure about everything. The manga is really great, you should try and finish it if you ever get the chance. And Kurogane's curse wasn't actually a curse, in case you didn't know, it was a barrier of protection, Tomoyo just lied and told him it was a curse so he wouldn't needlessly kill._

 _ **Vannya-** Don't worry, all in good time. All in good time. *chuckles evilly* I have high anxiety levels too, it freaking kills me when people don't update. That's why I try mostly read stories once they're completed._

 _ **Snowe Whisper** \- Actually, hiding how he feels is very unlike Kurogane. But, to keep Fai from worrying, and probably because he doesn't assume it's a big deal yet, he will. Also, that bit above for the hardcore fans is mostly for you, since last time I said a gay slur in a Tsubasa fic you like, bit my head off for it. (Joking, by the way)_

 _ **Reader** \- Thank you. I'm glad you like it!_

 _ **Never Ending Nightmare** \- Don't worry, I very much like this story, so even if it's not so good sometimes, I will continue enthusiastically. Thank you._

Chapter 4

When Fai woke up, luckily from a nightmare free sleep, he was the only one in the bed that he and Kurogane were sharing. That wasn't new though. Kurogane always woke up at ungodly hours, often up before the sun itself, and Fai, while not a late sleeper exactly, did tend to want to wake up at what he considered to be much more reasonable hours.

He heard faint pounding on the roof far above him, so he knew that Kurogane was already working on it. Once the ninja got started on something, he didn't stop until he was finished. Fai wandered through the house sleepily, and found Syaoran and Mokona in the living room, sitting at a table. The young boy was reading a large book, and Mokona was simply humming, sitting quietly on the table until Fai came into view.

"Fai! Good morning!" Fai caught Mokona in his hands, and smiled.

"Good morning, Mokona. Good morning, Syaoran-kun."

"Good morning, Fai-san." Syaoran said back, looking up. "I found a book about the spirits around here, and what you can do to seal them."

"Did you find anything about the spirit I released?" the blonde asked, taking a seat at the table, hoping Syaoran would say yes. Instead, the brunette sighed and shook his head regretfully.

"Not yet. But I'm only halfway through the book."

"You haven't been reading too long, have you?" Fai asked, suddenly noticing the tired look in Syaoran's eyes. "What time did you get up?"

He saw Syaoran consider lying, consider telling the truth, then settle on a lie.

"Not that long ago. I've only been up a couple hours."

Fai tsked scoldingly, and reached over to gently shut the book. "Syaoran-kun, get some sleep. Your health shouldn't suffer for my mistake." he said, with enough guilt that Syaoran heard it.

In response, the boy's face softened. "Fai-san, it isn't your fault, what's happening." He hated the thought of his close companion blaming himself once again for things that were out of his control.

"Hmm." Fai said. He'd heard the boy he thought of as a son, but it still was hard to believe. Turning the subject back around, he pulled the book to himself, setting it in his lap.

"I'll read the book for you Syaoran-kun, while you get some rest."

Syaoran considered this, but he was so tired that he didn't need much time to consider. He'd been up even longer than Kurogane. He could see how much this whole situation was worrying his traveling companions, especially Fai, and he had wanted to find some way to help seal the spirit again.

"Okay. But I'll be up in a couple hours."

"Alright." Fai said, not pushing his luck. He was lucky Syaoran had conceded to sleep at all. Mokona turned to Fai and yawned. "Is it okay if Mokona sleeps too? Mokona has been up a long time helping Syaoran."

"Of course." Fai said fondly, snuggling Mokona for a moment before letting it down. Once they were both gone, true to his word, Fai opened the book back up to the page Syaoran had been at, and started reading. It was quiet, except for the light pounding of the hammer high above his head, and he wondered if Reya and Shea were home, or if they'd gone out.

After thirty minutes of reading, Fai bookmarked his page, then went to the kitchen and started making breakfast. Kurogane would be hungry once he finally took a break, and Fai doubted Syaoran had made himself anything to eat. Once the boy found something that peaked his interest, he very rarely took the time to think of anything else, even food. He made extra for Shea and Reya, hoping they'd like it. He wasn't sure of all their particular favorites.

A few minutes after he'd finished cooking, the pounding on the roof stopped. Fai, who had been setting the table, paused, waiting to see if it would start back up again. But there was no sound, meaning Kurogane was probably done for today. He went outside, and looked onto the roof, trying to spot the ninja.

But there was nobody there.

Fai wasn't worried, since it just meant he'd probably gone done from the other way. He went around the house, finding the ladder that Kurogane was using to get up onto the roof. But the ninja wasn't in the backyard either.

Wondering how they'd managed to pass each other, Fai went back into the house, and looked around. But there was no sign that Kurogane had come in.

Now he was starting to get worried.

He went back outside, and started climbing up the ladder. Maybe Kurogane was just taking a nap on the roof or something. It was a steep climb, and the ladder was wobbling a little too much for Fai's liking by the time he got to the roof.

Which was empty.

The wizard climbed up onto the roof, and looked around, hoping his new vantage point would be of some help. That's when he finally spotted Kurogane, standing amist the trees that led to the forest and caves they'd come from.

"Kuro-tan!" he shouted, by the ninja didn't turn around.

"Kuro-nyan!" he tried again, purposely picking a ridiculous suffix that he was sure to turn Kurogane around. Still, the ninja didn't move, and Fai felt his body tense up, fear prickling his skin. Kurogane was standing very still, in a way that spoke of danger. Could the ninja sense something he couldn't? Fai looked around, trying to spot something, anything, that would explain Kurogane's behavior. But he couldn't sense any presences, magical or not. And he couldn't see anything either, not even rustling wind, which before, would not have been a threat, but now, meant danger.

Fai jumped off the roof, landing perfectly on the ground, and ran over to Kurogane, his heart pounding.

"Kuro-sama," he said upon reaching the ninja. "What's wrong? What do you see?"

At the sound of his voice, Kurogane finally turned around. For a split second, Fai thought he saw something in his red eyes, a reflection of a person that wasn't himself. But then, just as quickly, it was gone, and Kurogane was speaking to him.

"I just thought I saw something." he said.

"That spirit?"

"I don't know. It vanished."

There was something odd about the way he was speaking that Fai didn't like. His voice was strained, and it was like he was trying very hard to think of the right word to say.

"Are you feeling alright?" Fai asked gently, putting his hand on Kurogane's forehead. At his touch, the ninja suddenly relaxed, and when he spoke again, it was the Kurogane Fai knew.

"I'm fine. Quit worrying so much." he said gently, and he took Fai's hand in his. Still holding hands, they began to make their way back to the house.

"Be careful, Kuro-tan." Fai said teasingly. "The people of this town aren't very accepting, I don't think, and I get the feeling this is one of those worlds where they'll call us names and give us mean looks." They'd come across a couple of worlds where two men being together wasn't something everyone looked kindly upon. Indeed, Fai was already noticing a few neighbors noticing them, frowning and grumbling.

Kurogane huffed, and only pulled Fai closer. Fai leaned into the contact, relaxing a little at the warmth radiating off of Kurogane.

"I made breakfast, Kuro-kyu."

"It's not pancakes or waffles or some other sweet thing like that, is it?"

Fai shook his head, and tried to put his worried thoughts aside. The spirit, while it's threat more than clear, hadn't attacked yet.

Then again, that only made it worse.

*(*)

Syaoran spent the second half of the day searching for any clues to ways they could see Syaoran and Sakura again. It wouldn't do to put their mission aside, even if they were worried about a vicious spirit. Fai spent the day cleaning up all four floors. The first one was very dusty, and while the siblings did their best to keep the other three floors clean, they still needed a lot of touching up that Fai was happy to do as payment.

Kurogane finished the roof, and spent the rest of the time going through the book that Syaoran and Fai had started.

By the time Fai was finished with tthe cleaning, he was tired, and fell into his bed, hoping to take a quick nap before he had to make dinner.

 _His eyes opened, and even though he was in the same room, laying in the same bed, he could tell right away that this was a dream. There was something at the foot of his bed, a magical presence not afraid of making itself known. Fai had a pretty good feeling he knew who it was._

 _He sat up, afraid it would be in Kurogane's form again, but it wasn't. It was simply the shape he'd first seen it as, a whirlwind of a human shape with glowing eyes._

 _"You can look up all the ways to seal me that you want." it said mockingly. "It won't work."_

 _How did it know what they were up to? Was the spirit watching them? Or was it just an obvious guess?_

 _Fai crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. " And why won't it?"_

 _"Because you won't be able to find me."_

 _"Are you hiding?" asked Fai, raising an eyebrow and trying to sound like he too, was mocking. "A scary, powerful spirit such as yourself, hiding away in the shadows?"_

 _A low growl reverberated throughout the room, and the whirlwind moved, coming over to the side of the bed. In response, Fai stood up, getting off on the other side of the bed. He dug inside of himself, searching for his magic, hoping it was still there. He felt it, ready to be used, and breathed a little easier. If this came to a fight, so long as the spirit couldn't block his powers quickly enough, he would stand a chance._

 _"You won't be so cocky when I get my hands on you." the spirit snarled. Fai didn't say anything back, trying to decide if he should attack. This was only a dream though, so would any attack make an impact in his dreams? Was the spirit really there, inside his dream, or just visiting him from wherever it was hiding?_

 _"What do you really want from me?"_

 _The spirit cocked it's head. Or at least, Fai was pretty sure it did. It was hard to know, when all you could see was a vague shape._

 _"Is it my power? Is that why you're chasing me?"_

 _It only laughed, and suddenly began moving again. It went through the bed, like it wasn't even there, and Fai took a step back._

 _"Get away." he said, preparing to use his magic, but he didn't have the time. He was suddenly back on the bed, pinned under something he couldn't really see, as it laughed above him._

 _"You're so much fun, little one." the spirit said, and Fai got a good look into it's eyes. It was like falling into a hole that didn't have a bottom._

 _"Get off!" he screamed, his magic exploding from inside him. It was meant as an attack. But the spirit only continued laughing, it's mocking tone echoing in Fai's ears until he screamed._

When he opened his eyes this time, he knew that he was awake. But he was still pinned to the bed, the same way he had been in his dreams. He strained against whoever was holding him, in to much of a panic to really comprehend who it was. But then he stopped, looking up into the eyes of the person holding him down.

Kurogane didn't say anything, and the only sound was Fai's panting, as he tried to calm down. There had to be an explanation for this. Kurogane would never hurt him. He knew that. Stil though...he could feel the cold fingers of fear sliding across his skin. It wasn't something he was trying to feel. His body was feeling it on it's own, and that was never a good sign.

"Kuro-sama?" Fai said quietly, looking up into the ninja's red eyes. Once their eyes connected, Kurogane immediately let go, sitting up, and though he looked a little confused, he seemed fine as he explained. "You were thrashing around. I thought you'd hurt yourself."

"Oh." Fai said, breathing an inward sigh of relief. "Sorry. I, uh, was just having a bad dream. I'll go get started on dinner." he got up, giving Kurogane a quick kiss as he ran out of the room, knowing he had to move fast if he didn't want Kurogane to question him more.

* * *

 _If he'd stayed a moment longer, or maybe looked back, he might have seen the look of fear in Kurogane's red eyes._

 _Sorry there wasn't any real progression of the story, I promise it will pick up quickly. Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Review Replies**

 _ **Never Ending Nightmare** \- Well, I'm not really all that, but I do love Tsubasa so much that I'm going to try hard to make sure this story is a good one! Or, at least an interesting one._

 _ **Felicja-** I'm sorry, my friend. I don't have wifi where I live (hard to believe, I know) so it takes me awhile to get it updated. I'll try to make the chapters are long enough to make up for the slow updates._

 _In real life-or uh, real Tsubasa, I don't think Fai would take so long to realize what was going on. But...you know…_

 _Whatever._

 _If Syaoran can walk into a room without knocking, (from a different fanfic of mine) Fai can be slow on the uptake of a magical possession._

 **Chapter 5**

Things were surprisingly quiet for the next few days. Fai didn't have any more nightmares, and Kurogane seemed fine. His worries subsided, but by only a little. He wasn't going to just be naive and believe the spirit had randomly given up. He knew that, if anything, the silence just meant that the spirit was biding its time, waiting for something. But at least this gave them more time to prepare for it, and find ways to seal it. They also used some of their spare time to work on the large house, and by day three, it had never looked better. That Fai had seen anyway.

Syaoran and Fai went to the market for more food and supplies, and came back to Reya, Shea, Kurogane and Mokona all trying to cook lunch. Fai couldn't help but wonder how the twins had managed to survive so long on their own, when he saw what the four of them had managed to make.

Still, out of the kindness of his heart, he gave it a try, and Syaoran did too. Looks can be deceiving when it came to food though, (he was well aware looks could be deceiving for people) he realized, because truthfully, it wasn't all that bad, though a little strong in flavor.

When lunch was done, Reya decided to go fishing, probably for better food, and invited Syaoran along. With nothing else to do, the boy agreed. Mokona and Shea invited themselves along, leaving Kurogane and Fai alone together. Fai had considered going with too, but ultimately thought it would be good for Syaoran to hang out with other people his own age, without Kurogane and himself standing just a few feet away. The boy was already much too mature, (though with good reasons) and it would do him well to lighten up and have some fun.

"Want to go on a walk?" Fai asked a few minutes after they had gathered their gear and gone, even though they could have used the alone time to do other things. He and Kurogane hadn't really taken the time to look around town together.

Kurogane looked up from the card game he'd started. "Sure."

They took their time, strolling casually through the town, doing some light shopping. It was mostly Fai buying things, using what little money they had on little trinkets he thought were pretty or interesting.

"Such a waste of money." Kurogane said in his teasingly gruff tone, shaking his head, and Fai shook his head back.

"Not true. Kuro-sama. I'm buying them cheap here, but who knows? In other worlds, they might fetch a good price."

Kurogane couldn't argue with that. What was cheap in one world could be extraordinarily rare in another. For one, Fai had one an argument, and the nina crossed his arms over his chest disgruntledly. Fai laughed, knowing that Kurogane was only messing with him, and took the ninja's hand, swinging it over dramatically between them.

"If only we had a small child." Fai said. "We could swing them between us."

One half of Kurogane's mouth lifted into a smile, and he indulged in this ludicrous statement. "How the hell are we supposed to get ahold of a small child? Did you develop a womb? Or are we thinking kidnap?"

"Exactly. We'll go to a school the next time we're in a world with lots of schools, watch the kids a couple days, and pick one we like the best. Then we run in there, snatch them up, and jump to the next world before anyone can stop us!" Fai probably sounded a little too enthusiastic. Should anyone have been going by at the moment and overheard, they most likely would have thought the blonde serious.

Kurogane lifted an eyebrow at the blonde. "What if we're tearing the kid from a loving home?"

"Hmm. You're right. We'll pick one that will be happier with us then."

"So we have to stalk our choices home, _and_ wait to see which one has the worse life?" Kurogane asked, purposely sounding exhausted.

"It's a lot of work, Kuro-rin, I know, but it will be worth it when we are able to swing them between us."

"Swing the damn porkbun. I'm not gonna kidnap a kid just because you're dying to swing one between us."

"Mokona, huh? That might work. Oh! We could swing Maru or Moro the next time we're at the shop! That way we don't have to kidnap anybody, but I still get my wish." With this finally settled, Fai nodded happily, and Kurogane just shook his head at all his tom-foolery. But he had a feeling that even though Fai never had any intention of kidnapping a child, he would find himself swinging those weird twins next time they dropped in at the witch's shop.

"Hey, fags, get out of the streets!"

Fai, who had been humming only seconds ago, stopped instantly, freezing in his spot. Had those words been directed at them? He glanced around, and didn't have to look far to find the source of the voice. There were a few men, probably about the same age as Kurogane and Fai themselves. (Well, the age Fai's appearance suggested anyway) They were all glaring at the ninja and wizard with very visible disgust, and Fai could tell instantly they were the kind of men who would fight back, should they choose to approach them.

"Let's go Kuro-tan." the wizard said easily enough, trying to turn and go back the way he came. He pulled lightly on Kurogane's hand to get the bigger man to follow him. But he was quickly jerked to a stop. Kurogane hadn't budged an inch. And judging by the confrontational look in his eyes, he wasn't planning on it either.

"What did you say?" he growled threateningly, taking a few steps closer. Since Fai was still holding his hand, he was forced to step closer too.

One of the males spoke, and it was the same voice as the first time. "You heard me! You're staying with those freakish twins, right? Well get the fuck back to their house and keep your filthy ways off the streets!"

Even though Fai didn't like the way they were being treated, he was used to it. For a long time, his life had been nothing but hateful words slung at him the moment he and his brother were spotted. The thought of this cause a quick look of sadness to flash across his face, and Kurogane, who hadn't been calming down anyway, saw it, and now looked ready to explode.

"That's it." He said lowly, and he began marching over to the men. Fai, still trying his hardest to prevent any bloodshed, pulled as hard as he could on his soulmate. "Please, Kurogane. No. Let's go back." He begged, using the ninja's full name in hopes that it would get his attention.

"Yeah, listen to your pretty little girlfriend, you fag!" said one of the other men. And Kurogane launched himself forward and punched the man square in the face, sending him tumbling backwards over himself.

Fai gasped, finally letting go of Kurogane's hand. The ninja now turned his fury on the man who had called out the first and second time, and even though Fai saw fear flash through the eyes of this hateful man, the stranger stood up straight, ready to accept the challenge.

"You think you can beat me, you fag?" he growled. In one swift movement that Fai barely managed to see, Kurogane had the man's shirt crumpled in his fist. His red eyes were blazing, and he snarled, in a low, frightening voice.

"Yes."

Then, the ninja used his other free hand to punch the man in the face. Blood gushed from the man's noise, and he tried to fight back, and quickly, tried to get away. But Kurogane wasn't letting go. Soon, he had the man pinned on the ground, and was wailing away on him. The third man only briefly tried to pull Kurogane off, before running away on his own, leaving his two friends to their demise.

Fai was too stunned to move. The look in Kurogane's eyes was not one he'd ever seen, in all their time together. He'd seen Kurogane angry, he'd even seen Kurogane ready to kill. But in those moments where he was obviously ready to kill, it was always for a purpose. This however, was not a reason to kill.

And kill was what Kurogane was aiming to do.

People were coming out to look, shouting and screaming in horror, but none coming closer.

They weren't going to stop him.

It was on Fai.

"Kurogane, stop!" he screamed, and he jumped onto the ninja's back, trying to pull him away. It was as if Kurogane didn't even notice him though, so Fai, after a quick second, did the first thing that came to mind.

He bit Kurogane's ear, as hard as he could.

The ninja let out a short grunt of pain and finally looked up, and then around, trying to pinpoint the source of said pain. His eyes settled on Fai, and they cleared up. Not totally, but enough that Fai knew he could get through to the man he loved.

"Kurogane, come on, we gotta run." he said. If they stayed much longer, they were sure to have an angry mob on their hands, or maybe the police. And that wasn't something they could afford. If Mokona's earring glowed, and Syaoran couldn't find them, the boy would have no choice but to leave them behind. And even though Fai could move between dimensions, there was no gaurntee they would run into the boy they loved so much ever again.

Well, perhaps they could make their way to Watanuki's shop and simply wait there until Syaoran came back around. But Fai didn't want that to happen anyway.

Luckily, the two of them were running off seconds later, much too fast for anyone to follow. Most of them probably knew where they lived though. They would just have to hope it would blow over quickly.

As they ran, the man's torn and bloody face stayed firmly in Fai's mind.

*(*)

Once back at the house, they were both silent for almost ten minutes, waiting for the sounds of angry people, or the police. When nothing came, they slowly began to breath a little easier.

"Kurogane, what...what happened!?" Fai asked, walking over. "Why did you...why did you do that?"

Kurogane turned to face him, and his eyes still burned with something very unfamiliar to Fai.

"He was insulting us." the ninja said simply, as if that was the end of it.

"So you decided to what...to kill him!?" Fai practically screamed, his heart still pounding. "That was so dangerous, so stupid, so-"

But he didn't get the next word out of his mouth, because he suddenly found himself pushed up against the wall, Kurogane pinning him there.

"Don't call me stupid." he snarled, and even though he was afraid, Fai didn't shrink back. This time, he demanded, his mouth in a firm line, his voice low, "Let go of me."

But Kurogane didn't.

So Fai began to struggle, pushing against Kurogane's chest. "Kurogane, get off of me!" he demanded. Kurogane wasn't the kind of guy who would do something against your will. Fai knew that with all his heart. He may do things people didn't like, but he knew the meaning of "No," and "Get off." Not that Fai had ever had to say them before.

But Kurogane didn't let go.

"You're scaring me!" Fai admitted, hoping this truth would work. His voice wobbled. The man he loved would never try to scare him, no matter what.

A split second passed where Fai saw a flash in Kurogane's eyes, something that made him think the ninja would finally let go. It was fear too. But then his grip only got tighter. And his eyes hardened.

"No."

Fai wanted to fight him off, but he wasn't strong enough physically. He could beat him if he used his magic, but his magic was much too strong. He could, probably would, kill Kurogane if he used it.

He was stuck.

And he was in danger.

*(*)

Syaoran was alone as he walked up to Shea and Reya's giant house. The twins had stayed behind at the river with Mokona, still fishing. Syaoran was going back because he'd fallen (was pushed by Shea) into the river, and needed a change of clothes.

As he approached the house, he thought he heard something that sounded an awful lot like Fai's voice. That wasn't weird. The weird part was he sounded scared.

Syaoran quickly picked up his pace, his mind racing with possibilities. Was it that spirit that was targeting Fai? Had it found them? Or was it human? Whatever it was, Syaoran had every intention of kicking it across the room.

Until he opened the front door.

His heart was pounding against his ribcage, and it only got worse as he took in the scene in front of him. Kurogane had Fai pinned against the wall, and Fai was struggling fearfully against him, trying to tear away, demanding to be let go in a shaky voice.

And Kurogane's eyes were…

They weren't his eyes at all.

"Kurogane-san?"

* * *

 _Not as long as I would like it to be, but I enjoy cliff hangers, so..._

 _This is what ya get._


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the abrupt ending that's about to follow, shit happened and the chapter had to end there. Thank you for reading! I also think this is the shortest chapter so far. Sorry for that too. I'm gonna skip the review replies today, because my laptop is almost out of battery. But know that I love you all for reading!_

 **Chapter 6**

The second Syaoran spoke, both Fai and Kurogane turned their attention to him. Fai's eyes widened in fear, but also held a hint of relief. Kurogane's eyes flared, then narrowed, like he was expecting a fight.

"Syaoran-kun, back away." Fai said, trying to sound like everything would be alright. But it wasn't alright. Kurogane would never do this, especially not to Fai-san. Something was horribly wrong. But there wasn't time to dwell on it, because Fai was in danger. Syaoran took a few steps forward, judging their reactions to it.

Fai shook his head adamantly, obviously scared for him. Kurogane, on the other hand, stepped toward Syaoran too. Since the ninja still had a grip on Fai, the wizard was pulled closer too.

"Kurogane-san, what...what are…why..." but then Syaoran stopped because at the moment, why wasn't really important. The important thing was saving Fai. "Let go of Fai-san."

Kurogane sneered, his lip curling upwards to show his teeth as he grinned. "Is that an order, kid?"

Syaoran had never felt more scared in his life. He'd faced all kinds of challenges, faught many battles, but none of them had been against Kurogane. He knew the ninja could beat him in a fight, but he'd never thought the day would come when he'd have to experience it for himself.

"Yes."

He wouldn't back down, not if it meant saving his friend. And he had to finish it fast, before Mokona came home and saw this.

Kurogane surged forward, but before Syaoran could block or even prepare himself, suddenly the ninja was on the ground. Kurogane's attention had been off of Fai just long enough that he had taken the opportunity to tackle the larger man to the ground. Normally Fai probably wouldn't have been able to accomplish this feat, but Kurogane hadn't been prepared for it.

"Calm down, Kuro-sama." Syaoran heard the blonde man say gently, and for a few seconds, Kurogane struggled in his grip. But then Fai leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kurogane's forehead. "Please."

It was like a switch had been flipped. The crazy look in Kurogane's eyes was gone, and he was suddenly holding Fai against his chest tightly, probably unintentionally hurthing the one he loved the most. But Fai didn't struggle or say anything about it.

"I don't...what the hell is happening?" Kurogane asked quietly, and Syaoran saw a rare thing in Kurogane's eyes. It was fear. The ninja was losing control of himself, and whenever he did, he was trying to hurt the ones he loved. Syaoran fell onto his knees beside the two men, and said sullenly, "It's the spirit."

Kurogane and Fai looked over at him, and Fai nodded, before burying his face in Kurogane's shoulder.

"The one from the cave?" Kurogane asked, but he didn't sound like he needed convincing. It was pretty clear at that moment what was happening.

"Yes. The one after Fai-san. It's inside you. It's using you to get to Fai-san."

Kurogane growled. "If it wants him so badly, why is it trying to make me hurt him?"

"Maybe it wants Fai-san to fear you, enough so that he might run away."

It was a good theory, but Fai shook his head quietly, before peeking out from where he'd buried his face. "I don't think that's it. Remember what Reya-kun said? It did this the first time it got out. Possessed people and forced them to hurt the ones they love."

The words came back to the group, and a heavy feeling of dread was thick in the air around them as Fai continued. "I think it's planning on staying inside of Kurogane, probably until I agree to go with it. Until then, it will torture us all by using you to hurt me. That way, I'm hurt, and you're hurt, forced to watch as you lose control and hurt me."

It was silent for only a second when Fai finished talking, then Kurogane roared in pure anger. It was a sound they hadn't heard him make, not in all their travelings. "What the hell are we supposed to do!?"

"We find a way to seal it." Syaoran cut in.

"But how?" Fai asked, moving closer to Kurogane. It was obvious that, somehow, even though Kurogane was the one who had almost hurt him, Fai still felt safest with the ninja.

"I'll talk to Kimihiro, to see if he can help us." Syaoran offered. "I'll tell Mokona to sleep through the conversation though."

They all nodded in agreement. None of them wanted Mokona aware of what was going on. It would only scare and worry the white bun.

"In the meantime, Kurogane-san, try to stay calm. I know it's not under your control, but you need to try."

"I know." said Kurogane gruffly.

Before they could continue the conversation, three voices came from outside the door. Mokona, Shea, and Reya had returned. They were laughing, completely unaware of the danger inside the house. By the time they opened the door, Fai, Kurogane, and Syaoran were all standing. They were grim, and silent, but Fai quickly tried to smile.

"Welcome home! How was the river?" he asked.

"Lots of fun!" Shea said, smiling before turning a teasing eye to Syaoran. "Syaoran-kun fell into the river though."

It was an obvious invitation for the young boy to play, fight back, and tell the truth. But Syaoran didn't say anything in his defense, and instead said, "I should go change."

Once the young boy was gone, Fai turned to Kurogane, who was completely still. Fai could see the horror dawning on him of what had almost just happened. What he had almost done to Fai, and Syaoran.

"Kuro-sama, let's go upstairs." Fai said gently, taking Kurogane's hand. Shea and Mokona both giggled and made wolf whistles, but Fai could see that Reya was watching them seriously. He alone could see that something had happened while they were away.

Once they were in their bedroom, Kurogane pulled his hand away. Fai quickly grabbed it back.

"Kuro-sama, it's alright." he said, because he knew he needed to say it. "I'm not afraid of you."

Kurogane whirled to face him. "Why not?! It's using me to hurt you."

"I know. But I'm not scared. I love you. And I know you would never hurt me on purpose."

Kurogane eased up, his muscles relaxing, and Fai found himself in another hug. He started to cry, tears falling from his eyes quietly. But not quietly enough, because Kurogane looked down at him.

"What's wrong?"

"I"m...I'm sorry...I should have known sooner. I was having these dreams, and you kept acting strange, but I didn't want to believe…" It was hard for Fai to get it all out, his voice shaking and his throat choking on his own emotions.

"Dreams?" Kurogane repeated lowly. "It's visiting you in your dreams?"

Fai nodded. He felt Kurogane's larger hand rest on his head, his touch far more gentle then it had been only minutes ago.

"Tell me about them."


End file.
